Today in History – 24 September

İsmet İnönü is born in İzmir

Mustafa İsmet was born on September 24, 1884 in İzmir, in a modest wooden house on the street then known as the British Hill and later renamed as street number 842. Per tradition, his father Reşit Bey carefully inscribed the date on the back page of the Qur’an at home. Although Mustafa İsmet was born in İzmir, neither of his parents’ families was from that town. A descendent of the Ludogorie (Deliorman) Turks of the Danubian plain, his mother Cevriye Hanım was from Razgrad, whereas his father Reşit Bey was of Kürüm descent. Cevriye Hanım came from a well-educated family. After her father Professor Hasan Efendi’s death, she migrated to İstanbul with her two brothers and sister and married Reşit Bey of Malatya in 1880.

Mustafa İsmet was the second of five siblings. The year he was born, İsmet’s father Reşit Bey was working as assistant investigating magistrate at the İzmir Hall of Justice. Forty days after the birth of his son, he was appointed as investigating magistrate to Foça and then to Buldan and returned to İzmir after four years. Reşit Bey’s next post was at Sivas. After a long journey, the family settled in Sivas and Mustafa İsmet began attending school there.

Most of İsmet İnönü’s childhood memories are of Sivas. His father Reşit Bey was a sincere Muslim, highly particular about moral issues. He was a firm educator and played chess well. Mustafa İsmet’s familiarity with chess was thus through his father. As he was an investigating magistrate, Reşit Bey would leave for investigation at odd hours and thus always bred horses at home. İsmet was introduced to horses at a very young age.

Mustafa İsmet attended primary school in Sivas. After primary school, he had two choices: he would either attend a civilian or a military secondary school. His interest in the military made the choice easier and in 1892, Mustafa İsmet enrolled in the Military Secondary School of Sivas.